News Gothic is a simple and clean, geometric sans-serif font family that has enjoyed timeless popularity within the domain of typography. First created by Morris Fuller Benton in 1908, this font comprises open letter creation, clean lines and above all, the ease of reading, which has made it a classic font in the world of graphic designing. News Gothic is a highly versatile and timeless font that has been used in newspapers, magazines, advertisements, and various digital media. This article explores the background, characteristics, uses and longevity of News Gothic to stress its importance within the sphere of graphic design.
History
Morris Fuller Benton designed this font in the year 1908 for the American Type Founders Company. Benton was an active typeface designer and some of his works include the American Type Founders library such as the Franklin Gothic and Century Schoolbook. News Gothic was designed as a lighter counterpart to Franklin Gothic – another sans-serif typeface of the same period.
The original News Gothic family consisted of two weights: The font style used is regular and bold. It has grown over time to encompass more weights and styles to suit the requirements of designers and typographers. It became widely used in the middle of the twentieth century in correlation with the modernist movement and the need for clear and concise fonts. The plainness and flexibility of News Gothic, therefore, recommended it to newspapers, magazines, advertising, and other forms of printed matter.
Features
News Gothic has a rather simple and understated design with a high level of geometricity and rather open forms of letters. The typeface is classified under the grotesque sans-serif group, which suggests that it has some resemblance to other early sans-serif fonts, including Franklin Gothic and Akzidenz-Grotesk. News Gothic has more narrowly defined letterforms, which means that it takes up less space on a page, which is very important for newspapers and magazines.
Another characteristic of News Gothic is the double story a and g, which is typical for many grotesque sans-serifs. The typeface also has a square-tipped terminal at the top of the lowercase ‘t’ and a characteristic ‘Q’ with a tail that moves beyond the bowl. These small characteristics make News Gothic what it is and enhance its readability.
Usage
News Gothic is perhaps one of the most utilized fonts in a variety of design executions due to its flexibility. Its simplicity and lack of distractions make it suitable for use in headlines, body texts, and captions. The font is also highly readable, even at smaller sizes, which is why it has become widely used in newspapers and magazines.
News Gothic not only finds its application in the printed media but is also used widely in advertising, branding, and packaging. It is versatile and can be used on various products and services due to its agelessness, and its versatility has made designers apply it in digital media such as website headers, user interfaces, and mobile apps.
Similar Fonts to News Gothic Font
Several typefaces are similar to News Gothic in design and usage, as well as their history. Some notable examples include:
Franklin Gothic: Created by Morris Fuller Benton, Franklin Gothic is slightly more robust and a sans serif font than News Gothic.
Alternate Gothic: Alternate Gothic is another creation of Morris Fuller Benton, which is a condensed version of News Gothic that is suitable for headlines and display purposes.
Helvetica: Even though not related to News Gothic, Helvetica has a similar geometric style that is suitable in similar contexts.
Univers: Adrian Frutiger designed Univers, which is a very universal sans-serif font with an extensive selection of weights and styles.
News Gothic Font Free Download
FAQ’s
Who designed News Gothic?
News Gothic is a sans serif font family by Morris Fuller Benton in 1908.
Is News Gothic a free font?
News Gothic is not a free font. You can buy a license if you want to use it for commercial purposes from various types foundries and font stores.
What are some common uses of News Gothic?
It is suitable for use in newspapers, magazines, advertisements, brands, packaging, and any digital platforms.
Are there any free alternatives to News Gothic?
Although It is not a free font, there are several free fonts that have a similar appearance. For instance, there are “News Cycle” and “League Gothic. “
What is the difference between News Gothic and Franklin Gothic?
Designed by the same designer, Morris Fuller Benton, News Gothic is a lighter and finer type of sans serif font than Franklin Gothic, which is heavier and stronger.
